LONDON World marathon champion Abel Anton and Olympic women's 10,000 meters gold medalist Derartu Tulu have been added to the field for the London Marathon on April 22.

In a statement on Tuesday, organizers said Olympic silver medalist Eric Wainaina of Kenya would also compete.

Spaniard Anton, the world champion in 1997 and 1999, won the London event three years ago.

Ethiopia's Tulu became the first black African woman to win an Olympic title when she finished first in the 1992 Barcelona 10,000 meters final. Last year she won her third world cross country title before going on to win the 10,000 gold medal in Sydney.

Race director David Bedford said the men's and women's fields were the strongest in depth ever assembled for the London Marathon.

"To add Abel Anton and Eric Wainaina to a men's field that already has Khalid Khannouchi, the world record holder, and Paul Tergat, the world half-marathon champion, is certainly a major coup for us," he said.

(Reuter)